Casino Royale

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Like most people, the James Bond I was familiar with was the one from the movies. He is suave and imperturbable (and Pierce Brosnan was my favorite). This James Bond is quite different. He is a bundle of prejudices, fussy behaviors, and insecurities. Some terrible things happen to him in this book which is much darker than any of the films are. 

“Like all harsh, cold men, he was easily tipped over into sentiment.”

Stepping back from the comparison to the movies this is a good novel. The cars are fabulous and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the gambling. 

“Above all, he liked it that everything was one's own fault. There was only oneself to praise or blame. Luck was a servant and not a master. Luck had to be accepted with a shrug or taken advantage of up to the hilt. But it had to be understood and recognized for what it was and not confused with a faulty appreciation of the odds, for, at gambling, the deadly sin is to mistake bad play for bad luck. And luck in all its moods had to be loved and not feared”

The writing style reminded me a bit of Dashiell Hammett who wrote about 20 years earlier.

This title is on my Classics Club list.